ATLANTA (AP) — The Governor's Office of Highway Safety and other agencies are partnering to remind drivers to stay safe during St. Patrick's Day weekend.

Officials are reminding Georgians to designate a sober driver while celebrating St. Patrick's Day — which falls on Monday, March 17.

Drivers are encouraged to use the department's Drive Sober Georgia smartphone app to get a taxi or to make plans with a sober driver ahead of time.

State officials are planning to discuss details of the initiative to keep drivers safe at Meehan's Public House at Atlantic Station Friday at 10 a.m.

Governor's Office of Highway Safety officials say about 9,300 alcohol-related crashes were reported in Georgia last year, which was a 3 percent increase over 2012.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press.

Georgia crime victims to be honored in April

ATLANTA (AP) — The state of Georgia is preparing to honor victims of crime with a ceremony and several other events for National Crime Victim's Rights Week.

Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles officials say National Crime Victims' Rights Week will be observed April 6-12 and the agency is planning to host a ceremony and open house at the Department of Corrections' headquarters in Forsyth on April 7.

Officials say crime victims may also schedule appointments with the State Board of Pardons and Paroles to discuss their cases.

Organizers of the event say victims will also have opportunities to provide impact statements, register to get notifications on an offender's status and more.

Officials say the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Juvenile Justice and other agencies are participating in the event.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press.

Winds gust as high as 48 mph in north Georgia mountains

ATLANTA (AP) — Winds were gusting as high as 48 mph in the north Georgia mountains, but were expected to become more calm after dawn.

Wednesday's strong winds toppled trees across metro Atlanta, knocking out power to several neighborhoods. WSB-TV reports that about 1,400 customers were without power late Wednesday night, but power crews had restored power to almost all of them by 5 a.m. Thursday.

A wind gust of 48 mph was recorded at a U.S. Forest Service weather station in the area of the Warwoman Wildlife Management Area in the mountains of Rabun County on Wednesday night.

That's up from 6.8 percent in December, but still well below the 8.8 percent rate from January a year ago.

The new figure was announced early Thursday by the Georgia Department of Labor.

Officials from the state agency say the jobless rate rose mainly because the Atlanta area lost 39,700 mostly seasonal jobs.

Statewide, metro Athens had the lowest area jobless rate at 5.4 percent.

The Heart of Georgia-Altamaha region had the highest at 9.8 percent.

The local area unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press.

Dog shot, thrown in trash bin is euthanized

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. (AP) — A dog that was shot several times and then thrown into a trash bin in Lawrenceville has been euthanized.

A metro Atlanta veterinarian earlier had said the 2-year-old Irish Terrier, named Catie, was expected to survive.

However, Humane Friends of Georgia said Catie's injuries were worse than first thought, so it gave veterinarians at the University of Georgia permission to euthanize her. The woman who has been caring for Catie said the procedure took place Wednesday evening.

Humane Friends said in a statement on its website that Catie's spinal cord was severed and she had a piece of shrapnel lodged in her heart.

The dog wasn't found with any tags or collar that might identify her owner.

No arrests have been made, but authorities are seeking suspects in the case.

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